Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
  • H01H71/10—Operating or release mechanisms
  • H01H71/1054—Means for avoiding unauthorised release
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
  • H01H71/10—Operating or release mechanisms
  • H01H71/12—Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release
  • H01H71/123—Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release using a solid-state trip unit
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H71/00—Details of the protective switches or relays covered by groups H01H73/00 - H01H83/00
  • H01H71/10—Operating or release mechanisms
  • H01H71/12—Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release
  • H01H71/123—Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release using a solid-state trip unit
  • H01H2071/124—Automatic release mechanisms with or without manual release using a solid-state trip unit with a hybrid structure, the solid state trip device being combined with a thermal or a electromagnetic trip
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H83/00—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current
  • H01H83/20—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by excess current as well as by some other abnormal electrical condition
  • H01H2083/203—Protective switches, e.g. circuit-breaking switches, or protective relays operated by abnormal electrical conditions otherwise than solely by excess current operated by excess current as well as by some other abnormal electrical condition with shunt trip circuits, e.g. NC contact in an undervoltage coil circuit

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of circuit protection against faults such as short circuits and relates to a circuit breaker with electronic tripping control.
• selectivity consists in coordinating these protection devices so that, when a fault appears in a circuit to be protected, only the protection device closest to the fault trips, thus preventing the rest of the electrical installation from being put out of service.
• the selectivity between an upstream circuit breaker and a downstream circuit breaker is said to be total if it is ensured up to the presumed maximum value of the short-circuit current where the downstream circuit breaker is installed.
• a discrimination limit is defined to indicate the short-circuit current value below which only the downstream circuit breaker will trip.
• circuit breakers with electronic tripping control provide protection against at least one type of fault such as a short circuit occurring in an electrical circuit. These circuit breakers are able, when the fault occurs, to trip by opening at least one main contact interrupting the current in at least one current path passing through said circuit breaker and functionally connected to the electrical circuit.
• a circuit breaker generally comprises: [0007] a current detector making it possible to detect the current in the or at least one of the current path (s). For this purpose, it comprises a current sensor per current channel and a conditioning circuit emitting acquisition signals representative of the current flowing in the current channel concerned,
• an electronic trip unit comprising an electronic, analog or microprocessor processing unit, configured to be able to process the acquisition signals emitted by the detector and to emit a triggering control signal, instantaneously or in a delayed manner, when exceeded a trigger threshold,
• an actuator controlled in triggering by the trigger control signal comprising a coil, of the electromagnet coil type, surrounding a movable core, generally an iron core, a compression spring and a permanent magnet.
• a coil of the electromagnet coil type, surrounding a movable core, generally an iron core, a compression spring and a permanent magnet.
• the actuator When the actuator is not triggered, the core is attracted by the permanent magnet in the coil.
• the coil is supplied with current and generates a magnetic field which opposes and exceeds that of the permanent magnet, which has the effect of axially moving said core aided by the pushing force of the spring and actuating then an opening mechanism,
• said opening mechanism also known under the name of a lock mechanism, capable, under the effect of the movement of said firing pin, to actuate the opening of the main contact, and
• the current supply of the electronic processing unit is generally provided by at least one of the current channels and a power supply device such as a current transformer operatively connected to said current channel .
• the trigger control signal emitted by the electronic processing unit generally activates a controlled switch, of the transistor type (MOSFET), which further comprises the circuit breaker, said switch being suitable, when it is controlled to the closed state, to close a circuit connecting the coil of the actuator at a power supply potential and at a reference potential, said closure having the effect of causing current to circulate in the coil in order to supply it with current allowing tripping.
• a controlled switch of the transistor type (MOSFET)
• MOSFET transistor type
• these circuit breakers also include a control handle which protrudes from the circuit breaker housing and is connected to the moving main contact by the opening mechanism to allow manual tripping of the circuit breaker.
• the electronic processing unit is further configured to be able to control the electrical state of the actuator coil.
• the coil must be supplied with current, that is to say by a current lower than its nominal tripping current or sufficiently low not to lead to tripping, which is achieved by means of a circuit monitoring of said electronic processing unit.
• a problem encountered with these electronically tripped circuit breakers is the electromagnetic influence between the parts that compose them. Indeed, the integration constraints in this type of protective device require the parts to be placed in a small and compact volume, that is to say close to each other.
• the influence between these parts increases and in particular the electromagnetic influences generated by at least one of the current paths on the coil. Indeed, at least one of the current paths is generally located near the coil and oriented, at least in part, perpendicular or transversely to the axis of the actuator so that said current path can generate a field. magnetic opposing the holding force of the magnet and then having the effect of causing the displacement of the core and consequently tripping the circuit breaker.
• at least one of the current paths or other external magnetic or electromagnetic influence can cause the circuit breaker to malfunction by inadvertent tripping of the latter.
• a consequence of this dysfunction is a loss of selectivity.
• the object of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a circuit breaker with electronic tripping control making it possible to inhibit the magnetic influences liable to be exerted on the coil and to cause unwanted tripping of the circuit breaker, and in particular magnetic influences originating from at least one of the current paths, in particular when the current path extends, at least in part, transversely or perpendicular to the axis of the actuator .
• the circuit breaker with electronic trip control being traversed by at least one current path and capable of providing protection against at least one short-circuit type fault occurring in a electrical circuit connected to said current path and comprising a current detector capable of detecting the current flowing in the or at least one of the current paths and of emitting an acquisition signal representative of said current, an electronic trip device comprising a unit electronic processing device configured to be able to process said acquisition signal and emit a trigger control signal when a trigger threshold is exceeded, an actuator controlled in triggering by said trigger control signal and comprising a coil, and a mechanism opening capable of being actuated by said actuator to open at least one main contact interrupting the electric current.
• ue in the current path (s) concerned, and a power supply is essentially characterized in that it further comprises a circuit for inhibiting magnetic influences on the actuator liable to cause unwanted tripping, said inhibition circuit being capable of short-circuiting the coil when it is commanded in a closed state to achieve inhibition and not to short-circuit the coil when it is commanded in an open state and in that the control unit electronic processing is further configured to be able to control said inhibition circuit and to coordinate the emission of the trip control signal with the control of said inhibition circuit so as not to short-circuit the coil at the same time as the trip .
• At least one of the current paths capable of exerting a magnetic influence on the coil, extends, at least in part, transversely or perpendicular to the axis of the actuator.
• FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the circuit breaker with electronic tripping control, according to the present invention.
• FIG. 2 shows the electrical diagram of the electronic trip unit and the electromagnetic actuator of the circuit breaker shown in Figure 1 which further includes an actuator monitoring circuit
• FIG. 3 shows the electrical diagram shown in Figure 2, in a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the electronic trip unit further comprises a delay circuit,
• FIG. 4 shows the detailed electrical diagram of the circuit breaker shown in Figure 3, without the actuator,
• FIG. 5 is a cross section of the actuator of the trigger device shown in Figure 1 or 3 arranged above one of the three current paths oriented perpendicular to the axis of the actuator,
• FIG. 6 represents a timing diagram on the monitoring by the monitoring circuit of the state of the actuator and of the control of the two switches, respectively short-circuit and control,
• FIG. 7 represents a timing diagram of the open or closed state of the two switches and of the simultaneous control of said circuit breaker switches according to the present invention, in an embodiment without the delay circuit,
• FIG. 8 shows the timing diagram shown in Figure 7 with the delay circuit.
• the appended figures 1 to 8 relate to a circuit breaker with electronic trip unit, according to the present invention, said circuit breaker being crossed by at least one current path L1, L2, L3 and capable of providing protection against at least one fault of the type short-circuit occurring in an electrical circuit connected to the or each current channel L1, L2, L3 and comprising:
• a current detector D capable of detecting the current flowing in the or at least one of the current channels L1, L2, L3 and of emitting an acquisition signal representative of said current.
• it may include at least one sensor DO capable of detecting the current flowing in the current path L1, L2 or L3 concerned and a conditioning circuit D1 emitting the acquisition signals representative of the current detected by the sensor (s) ( s) DO
• an electronic trip unit 3, I2, 4, 5 comprising an electronic processing unit 3 configured to be able to process said acquisition signal emitted by the detector D and emit a trigger control signal when a threshold is exceeded trigger,
• an opening mechanism also known under the name of a lock mechanism, is able to be actuated by said actuator 1 to open at least one main contact C1, C2, C3 able to interrupt the current in the or one of the current channels concerned L1, L2, L3,
• the power supply A may or may not be integrated into the electronic trip unit 3, I2, 4, 5 and enables the supply of energy, that is to say of current and / or voltage, to the unit of electronic processing 3 and the coil 10 of the actuator 1, as well as, where appropriate, the other electrical or electronic elements or components constituting the circuit breaker and requiring such a power supply. It can be carried out by at least one of the current paths L1, L2, L3, for example by means of a current transformer D ′ which it can include functionally connected to said current path L1, L2 or L3.
• such a circuit breaker further comprises an inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 ', magnetic influences on the actuator 1 likely to cause unwanted tripping, said inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 'being adapted to short-circuit the coil 10 when it is controlled in a closed state to achieve the inhibition and not to short-circuit the coil 10 when it is controlled in an open state.
• Magnetic influences should be understood according to the present invention as being magnetic or electromagnetic influences.
• the electronic processing unit 3 is further configured to be able to control said inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 'and to coordinate the transmission of the trigger control signal with the command of said inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 'so as not to short-circuit coil 10 at the same time as tripping.
• control of the inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 "in the closed state by the electronic processing unit 3 can be carried out permanently, cyclically or occasionally. In the event that the control is carried out permanently, it will be interrupted by the electronic processing unit 3 when triggered so as not to short-circuit the coil 10 at the same time as said triggering.
• a magnetic influence likely to be exerted on the actuator 1 can be that generated by at least one of the current paths L1, L2, L3 oriented transversely or perpendicularly to the X axis of the actuator 1 and disposed near the actuator 1 ( Figures 1 and 5) or part of at least one of said current path L1, L2, L3 oriented transversely or perpendicular to the X axis of actuator 1 and arranged near actuator 1.
• the inhibition circuit 11, 2, 2 'the latter consists of a switch 11, called a short-circuit switch, controlled by the electronic processing unit 3 and connected directly to the terminals coil 10 (embodiment not shown in the appended figures) or via one or more conductor (s) 2, 2 'electric (s) of zero or negligible resistance (see in particular Figures 2 and 3 ) and / or an electrical component of zero or negligible resistance.
• a switch 11 controlled by the electronic processing unit 3 and connected directly to the terminals coil 10 (embodiment not shown in the appended figures) or via one or more conductor (s) 2, 2 'electric (s) of zero or negligible resistance (see in particular Figures 2 and 3 ) and / or an electrical component of zero or negligible resistance.
• the coil 10 in known manner, surrounds a movable core 11, such as an iron core and a spring 12 to compression and a permanent magnet 13.
• the permanent magnet 13 tends to hold the core 11 in the coil 10 by attracting it by its magnetic field when no other field opposes and exceeds this one, which core 11 compresses the spring 12.
• a triggering current flows in the coil 10 and the latter then generates a magnetic field which opposes and exceeds that of the permanent magnet 13 , which has the effect of axially moving said core 11 aided by the pushing force of the spring 12 against the attraction force of the permanent magnet 13 and of activating the opening mechanism not shown in the figures. attached figures.
• the short-circuit switch 11 is a transistor, preferably a field effect transistor of the MOSFET type. Such a transistor is designed to operate in blocked or saturated conditions.
• the electronic trip device 3, I2, 4, 5 may include a switch I2, said control switch I2, controlled by the electronic processing unit 3 and able to be activated in closing by the triggering control signal emitted by the latter to supply electric current to the coil 10 and perform the triggering.
• the control switch I2 is a transistor, preferably a field effect transistor of the MOSFET type.
• the coil 10 is connected, by one of its terminals, to a potential Vs of the supply A for its current supply and, by its other terminal, via the control switch I2, to a reference potential GND.
• the control switch I2 is thus able to open or close the circuit supplying current to the coil 10 under the control of the electronic processing unit 3.
• the coordination of the control allows to coordinate the control of the two switches 11, I2 so as to short-circuit the coil 10 of the actuator 1 when said coil 10 is not controlled / controlled by the electronic processing unit 3, that is to say that the control switch I2 is not commanded to close, in order to avoid electrical conduction simultaneous of said switches 11, I2 leading to a short-circuit of the power supply of the electronic trip unit 3, I2, 4, 5 and of the actuator 1 resulting in a loss of the circuit breaker protection function.
• the electronic processing unit 3 is configured to simultaneously control the two switches 11, I2 to switch them to another state closing or opening (figures 7 and 8). Simultaneous control, as will be seen below, is carried out more particularly by taking account of their switching time (Opening time 11, Closing time I2, Closing time 11, Opening time I2, in the figures. 7 and 8) which may be different depending on whether it is an opening command (Opening time 11 or I2, in figures 7 and 8) or a closing command (Opening time closure 11 or I2, in Figures 7 and 8).
• the circuit breaker may still find itself in a prohibited state (which is not desired) where the two switches 11 and I2 are closed simultaneously on a short-circuit (power supply short-circuited) in FIG. 7), that is to say a short-circuit state on the power supply Vs of coil 10 preventing its piloting when a fault appears in the circuit to which the circuit breaker requiring its tripping is connected.
• a short-circuit power supply short-circuited
• the present invention can provide that the electronic trip device 3, I2, 4, 5 further comprises a delay circuit 5 capable of achieving a delay of the order switch 11 or I2 intended to be switched from a first state to a second state with respect to the control of the other switch 11 or I2 provided to be switched from the second state to the first state, this following a simultaneous command of the two switches 11, I2 to switch them, one from the first state to the second state and, the other, from the second state to the first state and considering that the switching (Closing time 11 or I2 in figure 8) from the first state to the second state is faster than that (Opening time 11 or I2 in FIG. 8) from the second state to the first state.
• a delay circuit 5 capable of achieving a delay of the order switch 11 or I2 intended to be switched from a first state to a second state with respect to the control of the other switch 11 or I2 provided to be switched from the second state to the first state, this following a simultaneous command of the two switches 11, I2 to switch them, one from the first state to the
• the first state may be an open state and the second state may be a closed state of the switch 11, I2 concerned.
• the switching of each switch 11, I2 from the open state to the closed state (Closing time 11 or I2) is then faster than their switching from the closed state to the open state ( Opening time 11 or I2) and the delay circuit 5 will then delay, as can be seen in FIG. 8, the control of the switch 11, I2 concerned to switch it from the open state to l '' closed state with respect to the command of the other switch concerned 11, 12 to switch it from the closed state to the open state so that the two switches 11, I2 are not switched simultaneously in the same closed state.
• the delay circuit 5 can consist of an electronic circuit, preferably a logic circuit, connected to the electronic processing unit 3 for its control and to both short-circuit and control switches 11, I2 respectively, said delay circuit 5 being able to assign at the output of the electronic processing unit 3 a delay on the control of one of the switches 11, I2 with respect to the control of the other control of the other switch following a simultaneous control of the latter by the electronic processing unit 3 (FIGS. 3 and 4). More particularly, it can be seen, in particular in FIG. 4, that the logic circuit forming the delay circuit 5 can comprise a first logic gate 50 of the "or" type, the output of which is connected to the short-circuit switch 11 to the.
• One of the inputs of the first logic gate 50 is connected to the output of a third gate 52 of the “or” type.
• the two inputs of the third gate 52 form the inputs of the logic circuit and are connected to the electronic processing circuit 3 to receive the respectively short-circuit and pilot control signals.
• One of the inputs of the second gate 51 is connected to one of the two inputs of the third gate 52 of the “or” type.
• An RC circuit 53, 54 is connected to one of the other two inputs of each logic gate 51, 52.
• the delay circuit 5 can also be provided in another embodiment by being integrated into the electronic processing unit 3.
• the circuit breaker may further comprise, in a known manner, a monitoring circuit 4 making it possible, by checking the electrical continuity of the coil 10, to check its state and that of the actuator 1 and more particularly depending on whether the continuity is ensured or not the functional presence or the functional absence of the coil 10 ( Figures 2, 3 and 4).
• a monitoring circuit 4 is controlled by the electronic processing unit 3 and may include a switch I3 controlled by the electronic processing unit 3.
• the switch I3 is a transistor, preferably a field effect transistor of the MOSFET type.
• the electronic processing unit 3 can be configured to coordinate the commands of the three switches 11, I2, I3 and therefore the three functions of short circuit, trigger control and monitoring. More particularly, the electronic processing unit 3 can be configured so that the duration of the opening of the short-circuit switch 11 is sufficiently short so as not to obtain an unwanted tripping if a magnetic disturbance occurs at the time of monitoring. the state of the circuit breaker and long enough to allow the monitoring function to detect an anomaly on actuator 1 and more particularly on coil 10 (FIG. 6).
• the magnetic tripping device mounted in such a protection device thus allows, by short-circuiting the coil 10 the actuator 1, so as to allow the flow of an induced current in the coil 10 opposing the cause which gave rise to it, to compensate and therefore to inhibit the magnetic influence of the current path on the actuator 1 and more particularly on the core 11.
• Such a device can also be used to compensate and therefore inhibit magnetic influences from other electrical elements.
• the trigger device thanks to the coordination, makes it possible to maintain the known control function of the actuator 1, and more particularly the coil 10, and / or, where appropriate, the monitoring function , while ensuring the new short-circuit function making it possible to inhibit magnetic influences on actuator 1 and likely to cause unwanted tripping of the circuit breaker.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Keying Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Emergency Protection Circuit Devices (AREA)
• Breakers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=72266399

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2020
  • 2020-04-24 FR FR2004114A patent/FR3109665B1/fr active Active
• 2021
  • 2021-04-22 CN CN202180030474.9A patent/CN115699239A/zh active Pending
  • 2021-04-22 WO PCT/EP2021/060550 patent/WO2021214235A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 2021-04-22 EP EP21720478.3A patent/EP4139946B1/de active Active

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events